Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
~ No response from Dutch for assistance ~
PHILIPSBURG--Justice Minister Dennis Richardson outlined on Thursday some of the challenges facing the National Detective Agency (Landsrecherche) of St. Maarten.
Richardson said he had asked Dutch Minister of Security and Justice Ivo Opstelten in early 2014 for temporary operational assistance of four detectives from the National Detective Agency (Rijksrecherche) in the Netherlands. The request was made in view of the Landsrecherche's workload. "Eight months later, that assistance has not materialised as yet," Richardson said in a press release.
He said "a little known fact" was that the Attorney General of Curaçao, St. Maarten and Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius could call for the assistance of the Netherlands Rijksrecherche independently of the Ministers of Justice of Curaçao and Aruba. Such a request would be based on article 35 of the Kingdom Law on Prosecution. "Why that did not happen in previous years is not known," he said.
He said current Attorney General Guus Scram had requested the assistance of the Rijksrecherche in June/July of this year.
Richardson said he and the National Detective Agency were "still awaiting with contained breath" a response to their request.
Chief Prosecutor of St. Maarten Eric Noordhoek said he had brought the shortage of manpower at the National Detective Agency to Richardson's attention. Richardson, as well as former Justice Minister Roland Duncan, was aware of the shortage of manpower of the National Detective Agency prior to St. Maarten assuming its new constitutional status.
"The then-Netherlands Antilles government promised to assist St. Maarten in the development of its country's organisations leading up to its country status, especially in the areas where St. Maarten did not carry any responsibility before as an Island Territory, amongst other things, therefore, in the area of the Department of Justice," the release said.
This promise was not kept and the National Detective Agency started out on 10/10/10 with one person, the present head of the agency, who did not even have an office at that time. In the early stages of its development, the head of the agency tried to obtain assistance from the Rijksrecherche, but this never materialised.
"Support was promised once the agency reached full capacity. A peculiar approach, since it would be doubtful if such assistance would be necessary once the agency is fully developed. Operational assistance was needed then and there in view of the workload already for the fledgling agency," the release said.
"At the request of the then-Minister of Justice, Aruba sprang to the aid of our national detective agency by making three detectives available for three months, with an extension of one detective for one month, for a large operation. Furthermore, the agency also received assistance from detectives of the Police Force of St. Maarten."
The agency has been expanded to nine full-time equivalents in the meantime. There are nine vacancies that can be filled, which will bring it to a total of 18 workers. The agency will be at its full capacity with 20-23 staffers.
